Our Mission:
We identify and enable cost-effective access to optimal cybersecurity knowledge for Small and Medium Businesses in order to equip them to thrive in the transformational digital economy.
-We work with SMBs to understand their business models and needs, educate them about market trends and identify the right cybersecurity strategies.
-We bridge the gap between SMBs and cybersecurity providers to help them define and implement the right cybersecurity solutions.
Meet the PeerWise team:
Suzanne Martin is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of PeerWise. Her doctoral studies, followed by a successful career in market research, gave her the wisdom to peer through broad arrays of diverse data and uncover compelling, actionable answers. Her clients loved her for it and peer wisely became her mantra.
As businesses started to increase their reliance on digital tools to be competitive, Suzanne realized how devastating cyberattacks could be, especially for those with tight resources. Client requests for cybersecurity research started to pour in and Suzanne had to deal firsthand with the challenges of securing her own small business. She came to a few conclusions. First, SMBs were outmatched by cyber threats. Second, learning how to secure a business from its cyber risks seemed like a full-time job. And third, the online resources on cybersecurity were generally focused on large enterprises with big budgets, overlooking the security needs of the small and medium business. Suzanne decided that identifying and enabling cost-effective access to optimal cybersecurity knowledge for Small and Medium Businesses was going to be her mission, and that is how PeerWise was born.
Suzanne has over 20 years of experience in market research. After working for a leading research company, she went on to launch Martin Consulting, her own research business. She learned to navigate the limitations that befall small businesses and grew Martin Consulting from one client to one hundred based on outstanding work that led to repeat engagements and word-of-mouth referrals. The American Educational Research Association, The National Youth Leadership Conference, and the Childhood Well-being Conference all relied on her for impactful research and presentations.
Chris Cullen is the Chief Marketing Officer of PeerWise. He is an experienced chief marketing officer and consultant, and a leader of talented teams serving advertising agencies, commercial clients, start-ups, universities, associations, and non-profits. Driven by a strategic approach to building and growing communities and customer relationships and generating new revenue sources, Chris has served as an agency principal in charge of business development, the CEO of an online startup, the Chief Marketing Officer of the $1B American Legacy Foundation, the Endocrine Society, Saba Software, the U.S. Naval Institute, and the Johns Hopkins University. Among his community-driven clientele, Chris has developed strategic communications campaigns for the American College of Physicians, the YMCA Hampton Roads, the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, the National Association of REALTORS, and the financial services startup MarylandSaves.
Chris is an expert in creating results-driven integrated campaigns across mass media, development of creative content, digital marketing across all platforms, and brand and direct response marketing. Central to success in each marketing assignment is developing powerful, unique, and compelling value propositions; and managing targeted and efficient media outreach to quickly build and relentlessly cultivate communities to expand existing and new revenue streams.
Kevin Perez is the lead content writer at PeerWise. He was excited to join the company from its inception because he believed in its founder and its mission wholeheartedly. Passionate individuals who have the courage to pursue their dreams deserve access to the knowledge needed to secure their businesses from cyberattacks. That is what he set out to do at PeerWise, where his research acumen, his personal struggles with keeping alive his art projects, and his interest in all-things digital made him a critical part of the executive team.
Kevin received his undergraduate degree in Sociology from the University of Delaware, where he continued to work as a research assistant for various professors in the business department. When he was introduced to Suzanne Martin, he was deeply impressed with her skill at approaching and solving incredibly complex research questions. He joined her company, Martin Research Consulting, to help run research studies, write surveys, analyze reports, and summarize findings for clients. In time, he learned to peer wisely – to sift through data and zoom in on what was critical for Suzanne’s clients.
Away from research, Kevin spends much of his time pursuing his art career. He travels to art fairs across the country, meeting many artists who work hard to support themselves with this often non-lucrative career. This made him appreciate the sacrifices and dedication that come with following your passion, and he wants to ensure business owners and their staff are able to pursue this passion unimpeded.
Nicole Ariola is the Vice President of Business Development and investor relations at PeerWise. Her industry experience, communication skills, and observations of the SMB space from a vendor’s perspective make her a perfect addition to the team. She has over 20 years of experience in technology sales. During this time, she has stayed on top of all industry trends, from wireless networks to Artificial Intelligence.
Not only is she up to date on technology trends, but she is also up to date on sales trends among vendors. She has as worked with all sizes of businesses, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies. This experience gives her a view into how vendors approach sales to businesses on both ends of that spectrum. An observation she regularly makes is how often vendors overlook the importance of the small to medium business space.
She has had a successful career launching strategic marketing campaigns to displace the competition and grab market share. The SMB space is a market share she recognizes is being largely ignored by many vendors. As cyber threats increase, these companies are in ever-growing need of cybersecurity knowledge and solutions. Nicole believes that through education and communication vendors and SMBs can build lasting business relationships that will improve cybersecurity as an industry.
